Multi-Sectoral Humanitarian Response Targeting IDPs, Returnees and Host Communities in DRC, 2024 - 2026
Document reference number: 1
February 21, 2025 – Global Affairs Canada must determine whether the proposed Multi-Sectoral Humanitarian Response Targeting IDPs, Returnees and Host Communities in South Kivu province - Fizi Territory and Ituri province – Irumu, DRC, 2024 – 2026. is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.
To help inform this determination, Global Affairs Canada is inviting comments from the public respecting that determination. All comments received will be considered public and may be posted online.
Written comments must be submitted by March 24 ,2025 to:
Environment Specialists
Global Affairs Canada
200 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau (QC) J8X 4B7
Email:?CommentsIAARegistry-CommentairesRegistreLEI@international.gc.ca
Project title: Multi-Sectoral Humanitarian Response Targeting IDPs, Returnees and Host Communities in South Kivu province - FIZI Territory and ITURI province – Irumu, DRC, 2024 – 2026.
Project summary: Funded by the Canadian government through Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by CARE Canada the project aims to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain human dignity through health, nutrition, and SGBV interventions for conflict-affected women and girls, PWD, host communities, IDPs and returnees in South Kivu and Ituri, DR Congo, focusing on emergency primary health care, nutrition, and protection services.
Targeting the Nundu and Komanda Health Zones, the project will enhance well-being by addressing gender-based violence and improving access to quality health and nutrition services for displaced and host communities. All activities will comply with the DRC's WASH Cluster guidelines, the DRC National Office of Rural Water and the Environment (ONHR), the Sphere Manual standards, and NEAT+ tool recommendations.
The project in the DRC focuses on constructing and rehabilitating gender-sensitive infrastructure in 6 health facilities. However, currently, 5 facilities have been selected for upgrades. The activities planned at the five health facilities (Mukolwe, Iamba/Makobola II, Beyi, Komanda, and Hero) are as given below:
An incinerator will be constructed following the De Montfort Incinerator design at Hero facility, with a protective fencing made from welded rectangular tubes anchored in reinforced concrete and covered with mesh. The incinerator will be housed under a hardwood shed with a rubble stone base for stability. Placenta and ash pits will involve circular excavations (160 cm diameter) with elevation walls (15 cm wide, 200 cm high) and ventilated reinforced concrete slabs (15x160x160 cm).
The activities also include the construction of ventilated improved latrines (VIPs) at Hero facility, water connections, and supporting structures to ensure effective sanitation and hygiene. VIP latrines will be strategically sited to account for gender and environmental factors, maintaining safe distances from buildings and water points to mitigate odors and contamination risks.
Pits will adhere to WASH standards, typically no deeper than 3 meters, with concrete slabs supported by beams and durable superstructures of bricks, gravel, cement, and iron bars to prevent collapse. Water connections will undergo quality testing, and a health safety plan will be implemented to ensure potable water standards. Laundry bins and handwashing stations will have soak-away pits for wastewater management, preventing water stagnation and reducing disease risks. Durable latrines and showers for women, men, and individuals with reduced mobility will include reinforced concrete foundations, brick walls, roof slabs, steel doors, metal mesh windows, and iron roof sheets, with piping connections and handwashing facilities. Finishing work will include painting and final installations.
Description of the environment:
The project is implemented in the rural areas of South Kivu (Fizi Territory) and Ituri (Irumu Territory). Both territories experience a tropical climate with distinct dry and rainy seasons. Fizi, bordered by Lake Tanganyika, has a cooler dry season (15°C–25°C) and a warmer rainy season (20°C–30°C). It is an agricultural hub, with crops such as maize, cassava, beans, and coffee. The local economy also relies on fishing and trade. Irumu, located within the Ituri forest and bordering Uganda, has similar climate
patterns but with consistently warmer temperatures (20°C–30°C). The region's economy is driven by agriculture, mining (particularly gold and coltan), and trade. However, mining has negative environmental impacts, including land degradation and exacerbated food insecurity.
Both South Kivu and Ituri have experienced increasing extreme weather events, including floods, landslides, and mudslides, which have caused significant damage to infrastructure, livelihoods, and lives. In May 2023, a mudslide killed 400 people in Kalehe, South Kivu. In January 2024, flooding affected 431,472 households and caused 300 deaths. The primary climate hazards in Fizi and Irumu are heavy rainfall, floods, flash floods, and landslides, particularly during the rainy season. Poor land management practices, deforestation, and inadequate drainage systems exacerbate the risk of flooding, landslides, and soil erosion. Droughts have also been observed, further affecting
agriculture, increasing competition for resources, and intensifying the domestic workload, particularly for women and girls. These extreme conditions contribute to political instability and fuel conflict.
Geographic coordinates:
|
Health Zone/Area |
Facility Name |
Geographic Coordinates in decimal degrees (DD) |
|
Komanda |
Hero |
1.3086978, 29.826167 |
|
Beyi |
1.3509667, 29.75821833 |
|
|
Komanda |
1.3603397, 29.761509722 |
|
|
Nundu |
Mukolwe |
3.9382607, 29.1040949 |
|
Iamba/Makobola II |
3.5673453, 29.14708019 |
Required Authority Actions: The project is funded by the Canadian Government through Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by CARE Canada.